Traffic lights are typically automatically controlled under repeating timing cycles for each light. Municipal authorities usually determine ordinary, predictable traffic volume, and adjust light length cycles accordingly. It is often necessary for police officers and other municipal authorities to override and modify automated traffic light control sequences. A temporary activity which changes the usual traffic patterns is typically a cause for such necessity. Rush hour traffic, a sports or theatrical event at a church or school or displacement of traffic from other roads are some examples of temporary activities which could cause delays and backups at a particular intersection and/or roadway which is controlled by traffic light(s) which are under automatic control.
If an automated traffic light controller is to be modified an Officer must be located proximate the traffic light controller or control box, which is typically located proximate the roadway or intersection being controlled. Manufacturers of traffic lights and their controllers have anticipated this need, and have provided a plug-in connection in the control box for entering commands which override the automated sequences. Commands may be entered by a hand held control unit which may be a pushbutton controller or other manually operated device. In such prior art arrangements the hand held controller has a cord and terminal which provides a hard wired or continuous mechanical and electrical communications line to the control box. The manually entered commands cause the controller to implement the next phase of the pre-established automated sequence. However, such commands are not remembered, so that the person entering these commands must remain with the controller and continue to enter commands as long as he or she wishes to override the automated sequences. This system requires at least one officer for each traffic light to be controlled. When controlling traffic on a long stretch of roadway, this would require many officers to coordinate efforts to move traffic smoothly.
While this current system enables manual overriding control of the traffic light, it nonetheless has adverse consequences. One is that the police officer or other personnel controlling the traffic light is located at a vantage point which is usually far from optimal in observing traffic conditions. A second adverse consequence is that multiple officers must communicate with one another to assure efficient and appropriate management of the traffic along a stretch of roadway with multiple traffic lights. This communication can be cumbersome and subject to misunderstandings. The more lights that need to be controlled, the more coordination that is necessary. This still does not address the problem of tying up multiple officers to manage traffic on a specific roadway.
Traffic light boxes, as ordinarily supplied and installed, do not have means for communicating remotely. Rather, each has a plug-in terminal for receiving the known prior art hand held controller.
Remote traffic controllers which enable management of traffic lights from a location remote from the control box are known. In the most widely recognized configuration, these systems are often configured to send all traffic phase data and information to a central location, usually an indoor monitoring and control center. These systems are very expensive and require significant upgrades to municipal infrastructure to implement, including installation of cameras, network infrastructure, and new traffic controller units within the cabinets to ensure smooth integration. This solution, while technically feasible, would impose significant and objectionable costs to the municipality operating those traffic lights.
In another configuration, Wireless Traffic Control devices are also known art. These devices are not integrated into the traffic controller cabinet, but rather are portable, and require external power source which limits their useful duration while deployed at a particular intersection. These devices also require the presence of one officer to operate each individual controller, thus requiring one officer per intersection. Additionally, while these controllers do have the ability to learn new traffic timing cycles, they do not have the ability to communicate with each other or to discern their location in the timing of the lights on the street relative to the other lights on that same street.
There remains a need for a multiple traffic light control system which reduces the demand for police personnel in temporarily overriding automated traffic light control, improves traffic control and which does not impose undue costs of extensive modification to existing traffic light controllers and infrastructure. Additionally, while this system is installed inside of the traffic controller cabinet, it does not replace or re-configure any of the existing components. In this configuration it can readily be deployed on a stretch or roadway for a set period of time in relation to a specific event such as an extended detour due to road construction, and then easily removed and re-deployed at a new location with minimal software changes.